Kašpar, Miloslav

Miloslav Kašpar was born on February 12, 1914 in Prague into the family of Josef and Marie, née Vavřičková. After graduating from primary school, he attended the Higher Real Grammar School in Prague, which he graduated with honors. He continued his studies here with a one-year graduation course from the Business Academy. As he played excellent football, Sparta Prague was interested in him, but he decided to join the army. In May 1934 he was voluntarily deported and presented to the Infantry Regiment 6 in Olomouc and in July was relocated to the Brno Infantry Regiment 43. After graduation Military Academy in Hranice was transferred to the Bratislava in August 1937 Infantry Regiment 39. The regiment served as a commander of the machine gun platoon, field infantry platoon, deputy company commander, company commander and platoon commander at the school for the training of reserve infantry officers. At the time of the mobilization he commanded a machine gun company.


After the German occupation he fled to Poland, where he accepted the offer of the 2nd Department General Staff of the Polish Army to intelligence activities. He completed a news course in Katowice and Sosnovci and was then sent to the territory of the Protectorate with intelligence tasks. Then he joined the Czechoslovak unit in Krakow, specifically for its 4th Company, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. In Rakowec, they fell into Soviet captivity, which he spent in Kamenec, Podolsk, Olchovec, Jarmolince and Oranky. In April 1940 he set out across the Crimea on his way to France. In May he arrived in Marseille, from which he moved to Agde. From there he traveled to československém Infantry Regiment 1 [url = http : //forum.valka.cz] 1. Czechoslovak Division[/url], where after a short time took command of one of the platoon machine gun company. He fought with the regiment in the Loire. For a well-executed courageous move across the river under enemy fire, he was awarded the French War Cross. After the fall of France sailed to the British Plymouth. Here he was appointed commander of the 3rd Infantry Company Infantry Battalion 1 Czechoslovak Mixed Brigade. The 2nd Battalion Regiment London Scottish underwent a three-week anti-invasion exercise in Wales. Over time, he took over as battalion enlightenment officer.


At the turn of 1940-41 he completed a course for company commanders at the Command School of the Western Command in Doddington. After a year, he took an intelligence course at the Intelligence Training Center in Cambridge. Here he also underwent an interrogation course for German. He continued his military education - right after that he entered the school for junior staff officers in Oxford. Thanks to this combination of courses, he was able to become a deputy and later head of the intelligence department Czechoslovak Independent Brigade. In March 1943 he took up the position of aide-in-command of the Czechoslovak School for Staff Officers at Milton Hall. From October 1943 to April 1944 he underwent pre-invasion exercises with the 5th Battalion Jihostaffordshirského regiment in Dover. In May 1944 he joined the intelligence department of the Ministry of the Interior in London. In 1944, he married Pauletta Pegg, the daughter of an inspector at the Ministry of Health. In March 1945, he accompanied Czechoslovak politicians on their way to liberated Slovakia. Here he then joined 1. Czechoslovak Army Corps - took command Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion 3 1. Czechoslovak Infantry Brigade, with which he underwent liberation battles in Moravia and Bohemia. He distinguished himself in the liberation Vsetín or when he helped Romanian troops avert a German attack.


After the war, he joined the 1st Division of the 1st Division in Postoloprty as an intelligence officer. He was given the task of preparing to expel the Germans. In August, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of the General Staff and shortly afterwards he joined the VVŠ, namely to III. vintage. From the end of August of the following year he taught ground tactics here - already in the rank of major general staff. However, after the February 1948 coup, it was shut down. In mid-March of the same year, therefore, he preferred to cross the border into Germany. He then worked for French intelligence and then for British MI5. It was deployed in France, Austria, Cyprus and Lebanon. From 1958 to 1978 he worked as a manager for Ranco and Anglo-Nordic companies. After his retirement, he worked as the chairman of the Czechoslovak Legionary Community abroad. In 1990 he was rehabilitated and appointed to the rank of Major General. He visited his homeland after 1989, but spent the rest of his life in Surrey and Oxfordshire. He died on November 4, 2009. He was survived by his wife and three sons.


Z Kašparových vyznamenání uvĕme Czechoslovak War Cross 1939, French Válečný kříž a Romanian Order of the Romanian Star.



Resources:
Military personalities of the Czechoslovak resistance 1939-1945, Military Historical Institute Prague and Military Historical Institute Bratislava, Prague 2005
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